Fare Update

New Fares Take Effect July 16

New children ride free policy, modest fare increase, and Tap&Save program among changes

Updates to Fares

Updated Fares

Starting Wednesday, July 16, 2025:

Local Routes:
Single Ride:  $2.20
1/2 Off, Single Ride:  $1.10*
Day Pass:  $4.40
1/2 Off, Day Pass:  $2.20*
Five Ride Ticket:  $11.00
30-Day Pass:  $88.00
*New: Routes that have been previously designated as commuter services will now be called Local Routes. 

Express Routes: 
Single Ride:  $3.00
1/2 Off, Single Ride: $1.50*
30-Day Pass:  $120.00
*New: All routes with an “X” in their title are Express Routes.

MetroNow! & Access
MetroNOW! One-Way:  $2.50
Access One-Way:  $4.40

Metro/TANK
Day Pass:  $5.00
30-Day Pass: $105.00

Reduced Fare
Fare Deal & MVP Stickers: $44.00*
UC/Cincy State Students: $1.10 (this program will continue to be offered at no cost until further notice)

*Metro’s Fare Deal program allows eligible riders to obtain a Fare Deal identification card valid for half-price fares on any Metro trip. Learn more about the Fare Deal Program.

*Metro’s MVP Program is a half-fare discount program available to military veterans and active-duty service members. Learn more about the MVP program.

Child Fare Update

Children under 55 inches in height will ride free with a paying adult, with a limit of two children per fare-paying adult. Children over 55 inches tall will pay full fare.

To support this change, each bus will feature a height indicator at the 55-inch mark to help operators and customers easily determine eligibility.

This update is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which report the average height of a 10-year-old child is 54.5 inches—regardless of gender.

Introducing Tap&Save:
Guaranteed lowest Fare

Metro’s new Tap&Save program makes paying for your ride easier—and more affordable. No more guessing which pass to buy. 

Just load funds onto your Transit app or EZfare smart card, tap when you board, and ride. Our system tracks your spending and automatically caps your fare at the lowest possible price.

How Tap&Save payment works. Check back for more information and tutorials.

How Tap&Save Works

Pay as you go: Load money onto your EZfare account and tap to board—no need to buy day or monthly passes in advance.

Daily and monthly fare capping:

Local routes cap at $4.40/day or $88/month

Express routes cap at $6.00/day or $120/month

Once you reach the cap, additional rides are free for the rest of that period.

 

Two Easy Ways to Tap&Save

1. Transit App (with EZfare)

  • Download the Transit app

  • Create an EZfare account in the app settings

  • Load funds to your wallet

  • Tap your QR code on the validator when you board

  • Check back for more information and tutorials on Tap&Save with the Transit App.

 

2. EZFare Smart Card

  • Purchase a smart card for $5 at Metro’s sales office.

  • Load funds with cash or credit card

  • Tap your card when boarding

  • Check back for more information and tutorials on EZFare Smart Cards.

 

Still Prefer Passes or Cash?

  • Paper passes are still available online and at Metro’s sales office.

  • Cash is still accepted on board.

With Tap&Save, you earn passes as you ride—no pre-planning needed. It’s the easiest way to ride smarter, save more, and get where you need to go.

Earn Rewards Just for Riding

These updates build on the excitement of Metro’s new Rider Rewards program, launched in April 2025. Riders can earn points every time they ride and redeem them for free rides, gift cards, and more.

Tap&Save + Rider Rewards = More Savings, More Perks.

It’s all part of Metro’s commitment to making public transit easier, more affordable, and rewarding for everyone.

Get Started
Metro Rider Rewards Program

FAQ

Metro’s fare structure is still more complex than it needs to be. Under this proposal, the result will be just two fares based on the type of service provided – local and express. Express service will be identified by the inclusion of an “X” in the route name; for example, Rt. 23X Tri-County-Forest Park Express. Customers will always know their fare based on the name of the route they are riding.

• Regular, modest fare increases have always been planned for Reinventing Metro so Metro can continue to expand route span and frequency, launch new services, and improve the overall customer experience.

• Due to inflation, the cost of goods and services has increased and Metro’s fare revenue must keep pace with this increased cost of doing business.

The half-fare paid by Fare Deal and Metro Veterans Program (MVP) participants will be $1.10 for all local routes operating within Hamilton County and $1.50 for express routes operating in Hamilton County.

The cost of the monthly Fare Deal sticker will be $44.00.

The fare for MetroNow! will be $2.50.

The one-way fare for Access trips will be $4.40, and Access 10-ride ticket books will cost $44.00.

For customers using the Transit app with EZfare, all Metro transfers will continue to be free and good for continuous travel on up to two Metro buses or for 120 minutes, whichever comes first. Free transfers will be available for every Metro single ride purchased using the Transit with EZFare app.

The fare for these two counties will be consolidated and these services will have a one-way fare of $3.00 each since they are express services with an “X” in their names.

These programs are offered under negotiated contracts with these educational institutions and their fare will be $1.10 regardless of the type of service.

• The cost for a 30-day rolling pass for all local routes will be $88.

• The cost for a 30-day rolling pass for all express routes will be $120.

• The cost for the Metro/TANK 30-day rolling pass will remain $105 to encourage regional mobility.

Based on customer feedback received during the comment period, the child’s fare policy will change:

• Children under 55 inches in height will ride free with a paying adult.

• Limit two free children with each paying adult.

• Children over 55 inches tall will pay full fare.

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO,) the average height of a 10-year old child is 54.5 inches regardless of gender.

• A sign will be placed on each bus at 55 inches to aid operators and customers in identifying eligibility for the child’s fare.

The Metro fare simplification will be effective July 16, 2025.

Day passes good for unlimited rides during the transit day for all local routes will cost $4.40 and a day pass for express routes will cost $6.00. The Metro/TANK day pass cost will remain $5.00 to encourage regional mobility.

No, Metro will continue to offer regional stored-value cards for $10, $20, and $30 that can be used like cash on any Metro or TANK route.

Metro is pleased to offer a new program called Tap&Save which can actually save frequent riders money when they ride multiple times in a 24-hour or 30-day period:

• Tap&Save guarantees the lowest Metro fixed-route fare over a 24-hour or 30-day period.

• Once you reach the 24-hour or 30-day fare rate, you won’t be charged for additional rides during that period.

• For those customers who do not use the Transit with EZfare app, a reloadable EZfare smart card will be available for a $5.00 purchase price to enjoy the Tap&Save benefits.

• Fares are automatically tracked as you ride using your smart card or the Transit App with EZfare.

• Simply keep scanning or tapping your card—no need to worry about overspending.

• Charges resume at the start of the next fare cap period (24-hour or 30-day.)

• Another benefit of Tap&Save is that, instead of having to pay $88 or $120 up front for a 30-day pass, riders can pay fare one ride at a time and still earn the benefits of a 30-day pass.

• Single-ride tickets, day passes, and 30-day rolling passes will no longer be available to purchase in the Transit with EZfare app.

• Instead, riders may still purchase day passes, 5-ride passes, and 30-day rolling passes at the Metro sales office, online, or through the ticket vending machines downtown, uptown, and at the Northside, Glenway Crossing, and Oakley transit centers.

• 5-ride tickets and 30-day rolling passes purchased at the Metro sales office or from a ticket vending machine will not be eligible for free fare under the Tap&Save program.

Metro will honor all pre-purchased fare depending on how it was purchased:

• Metro will accept all single-ride tickets, day passes, and 30-day rolling passes purchased in the Transit with EZfare app until one year from their date of purchase.

• Metro will accept any pre-paid Access tickets until the end of this calendar year, Dec. 31, 2025.

• All Fare Deal stickers go on sale for the following month on the 15th of the previous month.

• If you buy a Fare Deal sticker on June 16, it will cost $40 since the fare restructuring won’t go into effect until July 16.

• When sales of the August sticker begin on July 15, the new price will be $44.

Routes that have been previously designated as commuter services will now be called local services, whose fare will be $2.20. These routes include:
• Rt. 2 Madeira
• Rt. 12 Madisonville
• Rt. 25 Mt. Lookout
• Rt. 30 Beechmont
• Rt. 38 Glenway Crossing-Uptown
• Rt. 40 Montana
• Rt. 77 Delhi
• Rt. 81 Mt. Washington

Rt. 71X is an express route with an “X” in its name, so your fare will be $3.00.

All routes with an “X” in their title are express routes with a $3.00 fare including:
• 3X Montgomery Express
• 23X Tri-County/Forest Park Express
• 29X Milford Express
• 52X Harrison Express
• 71X Kings Island Express
• 72X Kings Island Direct Express (seasonally service to Kings Island)
• 74X Colerain Express
• 82X Eastgate Express

Here is a comparison of Metro’s single-ride base (local) fare with some peer cities:

Cincinnati (Metro) $2.00
Columbus (COTA) $2.00
Cleveland (GCRTA) $2.50
Dayton (GDRTA) $2.20
Indianapolis (IndyGO) $1.75
Louisville (TARC) $1.75
Northern KY (TANK) $2.00